God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
- - Serenity Prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr
I recall seeing that prayer daily as a child. It is fixed in my memory … in the kitchen, above the stove, hung on the wall, printed on a brown and black wood plaque. At the time the prayer was written on the plaque it was without attribution. Only later would I discover the author of this simple yet meaningful prayer. The prayer has served me and many others well over the decades that it has been in existence. However, just as a seed grows into a sapling and a sapling into a mature tree; our own growth requires that we delve more deeply into the concept of change. Life’s development places us along a path that once we are catapulted into adulthood there are so many settings – higher education, the workplace, civic organizations, and society in general - where we begin to see that change is, inevitable.
You may or may not experience significant change in your personal life or in your workplace, but if you are around for the next twenty-five years you are certain to experience change on a national level like we have never seen before (wait that sounds familiar!). This national change will reverberate for at least another twenty-five years therafter. I know, in these current times thinking more than five years – or even five months - ahead is kind of crazy. But it is necessary crazy thinking. The kind of thinking that can help us manage change.
For the twenty-two-year-old reading this article they will turn fifty years old at mid-century, and seventy-five in 2075. When – yes, not if - I attain the great mature age of 84 and I reach mid-century, I will have lived through what is shaping up to be the three most transformative decades America has seen in my lifetime.
By the year 2045 the United States will be a majority non-white nation. Fact. Full stop. That is neither bad nor good, it is just a fact. This change, though statistically projected for quite some time, won’t come without some societal lurching and tremors. For some it is a fact that brings about fear, unease, and uncertainty. For others it brings about hopeful optimism that the United States continues to move towards including everyone in “we the people.” What will it mean to be a white minority in the U.S? What will it mean for people of color to be in the majority?
It is a significant change for a country less than three centuries old. There will not be a shifting of economic wealth, business ownership, or the transference of real property; just a population shift. But if we have a true representative democracy, the shift in population should also result in a shift in the makeup of Congress as well as what future officeholders of the U.S. Presidency will look like.
In addition to a shift in the racial population, imagine overlaying a generational population shift. In twenty-five years, “tail-end” Boomers will make up only a small portion of the population. They certainly won’t make up much of the workforce. Only the youngest of my Gen X tribe will be in the workforce. And for the most part, Millennials, Gen Z, and future generations will dominate the U.S. population, including the workforce and voting population. Let’s face it – they will be running the show.
What will that show look like? It depends, but to get a sense of it, all you need to do is look at any reputable opinion research poll on any number of social-cultural-religious-political topics. Will that tell the entire story? Probably not. Remember that free-loving, flower in the hair, acid dropping, weed smoking eighteen-year-old in 1968 is now a seventy-two-year-old, empty nester, retiree concerned about whether they will outlive their savings. What’s the lesson to be learned? Just as much as there is change, we change.
Change is inevitable. But how we navigate it is largely up to each of us. Here are a couple of things that may help you along the way.
Be Curious
Don’t sit back and be a spectator. Lean in and think about the things to come - without judgment; including those hot button social, cultural issues. Let go of any pre-conceived notions of how you are right, and how others are wrong and just explore. Would you be surprised to know that interracial marriage only received constitutional protection in 1967? So, while this nation currently tries to navigate transgender issues, are those issues more acceptable to younger generations (you remember the ones who will be running the show very soon)? Will they look back from 2050 and shake their heads on the 2020s as the country wrestled with this topic?
Acknowledge Uncertainty
Look at change as a challenge. Will you master it, or will it master you? There is much uncertainty associated with change. If you have any professional responsibility, it is not likely you have the luxury of answering “I don’t know” in a meeting. But in this case, you don’t know, and you should take advantage of this moment of uncertainty that change can bring.
Be Grounded (Or Get Grounded)
To successfully navigate periods of change, challenge, and chaos you need to be grounded as an individual. Grounding comes in knowing your mission, and having vision, values, and virtues. It is easier than you think, and you need to look no further than yourself. It is inner work. But it is work that will serve as your “why” anchor during turbulent times.
Grow and Learn
Admittedly, I am at that point in my life where I am looking for the lesson or learning in all things around me. Even when things go terribly wrong, I am looking for the lesson. The lessons seem to escape us in our successes as we celebrate them. But rather than sulking and retrenching we must look for the learning opportunity in our moments of failure and in periods of change. Whether we like the change or not we should look for the lesson to be learned.
Reflection Questions:
What significant change is on the horizon for you?
What do you need to do to become more grounded to help you navigate this change?
What conversations do you need to have help navigate this change?
Who should you have these conversations with to help navigate this change?
What growth and learning opportunities are possible from this change?